Breathing Exercises

Every high-performing founder I know shares a hidden habit: chronic under-breathing. Watch yourself in the next product-fire drill—shoulders hunched, jaw clenched, quick chest inhales. That pattern dumps CO₂, nudges your body toward “threat mode,” and spikes cortisol. The good news: you can reverse it in under five minutes with science-backed breathing drills. Let's get nerdy about breathing! 1️⃣ Physiological Sigh – the 30-Second Circuit-Breaker Two short nose inhales (the second “tops off” the lungs), then a sloooow mouth exhale until empty. A Stanford RCT found that five minutes of this exhale-heavy pattern beat mindfulness at lowering anxiety and respiratory rate. When to use it: the split-second before you un-mute on a tense investor call. Pros: lightning-fast calm, no counting. Cons: looks dramatic behind glass-wall conference rooms. 2️⃣ Box Breathing 4-4-4-4 – the Rhythm Reset Inhale 4 sec → Hold 4 sec → Exhale 4 sec → Hold 4 sec. Cleveland Clinic notes it activates the parasympathetic brake and steadies heart-rate variability (HRV). When to use it: while the board deck loads and everyone’s staring at your face. Pros: easy to teach your team; pairs with Apple Watch “Breathe.” Cons: counting can hijack focus if you’re CO₂-intolerant. 3️⃣ 4-7-8 Breathing – the Night-Shift Down-Regulator Inhale 4 sec → Hold 7 sec → Exhale 8 sec. When to use it: laptop lid closes, but brain won’t stop scrolling roadmap slides. Pros: deep parasympathetic pull—great pre-sleep. Cons: the 7-second hold can feel claustrophobic if stress is already high. Why This Matters Under-breathing = low CO₂ (hypocapnia) → vasoconstriction + jittery focus. That’s the last thing you need when making important calls. Train longer, slower exhales and you’ll watch HRV—and decision clarity—climb. Proactive insight: Build a 14-day “CO₂-tolerance ladder.” Start each stand-up with a timed breath-hold after a normal exhale. Log the number next to KPIs. As the metric rises, so will team calm and cognitive bandwidth. In my life it has been amazing what a few breathing techniques can do for clarity and decision making. Avoid under-breathing and live a life that is more calm.

The exercise I took from the Navy SEALs to control nerves and still use today. Every time you gear up for a job in Special Forces the tension builds in your body. This is good. Nervousness is a normal reaction to fear and uncertainty. It puts you in a heightened state making you feel alert and aware. This zones in your focus to take decisive action. BUT, you only gain this power when you've trained yourself to control the nervous feeling. When your nerves overwhelm you it kills your performance. You can be the best at what you do but if you can't put that into practice you will waste your potential. Feeling nervous activates your sympathetic nervous system (SNS). This is why your heart races, your breath quickens, and you feel on edge. It's fight or flight. If I have to talk on stage I get that feeling. To stay in control I use the same exercise I used before operations in the military. Something I picked up from our US counterparts, the Navy SEALs: Box Breathing ↳Inhale for 4 seconds ↳Hold your breath for 4 seconds ↳Exhale for 4 seconds ↳Hold for another 4 seconds ↳Repeat the cycle x 4. This activates your parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) to: > Reduces stress hormones. > Enhances emotional control. > Improves focus and boosts recall. Allowing you to concentrate on your content and delivery, rather than anxious thoughts. You can apply this to any situation. It's a way to hack your body's biology to allow you the mental space to perform at your best. Breathwork: Simple, effective and used by elite performers the world over. This is a skill. If you train it you can turn nerves to your advantage by controlling that energy. #thenaturaledge #masteryourmindset #breathwork — (Repost for anyone allowing nerves to overwhelm performance ♻️)

Ever feel like your ADHD brain is a tornado of thoughts? I've been there. I've discovered a game-changing tool: Mindful breathing. (seriously) Here's a simple 4-step technique I teach my clients: Pause: Stop whatever you're doing. (literally stop everything) Breathe: Take a slow, deep breath. (count to 4 as you inhale) Hold: Keep that breath for 4 counts. (as you confottably can) Release: Exhale slowly for 6 counts. (blow it all away like wind) Repeat this cycle 3 times. Why it works for ADHD, it: - Anchors your attention to the present - Calms the overactive mind by soothing - Improves focus and reduces impulsivity - Provides a mini-break to reset and return I've seen this transform lives. One client went from constant task-switching to completing a major project in record time. We celebrated. We noticed differences. Remember, your breath is always with you. It's a powerful, free tool for managing your inner experience. Mindful breathing helps you harness it strengths you have within you. P.S. When will you try your first mindful breathing session? Right now? After this post? Share your commitment below, even if it’s “I’ll think about it.” #adhd

Invest in yourself. I know it sounds cliché, but the truth is that your personal health is your biggest asset. Two years ago, I found an infatuation with breathwork and underwater training... so much so that I invested in a program that would help me get there. From surfing to stressful work situations to raising kids, breathwork has become an integral part of my life. Those that know me well, know that I have the energy of 25 year old at 47. Some call it ADD, I call it my super power. But with that super power comes a need to just BREATHE. Here is why breathwork has become an important element of my daily routine. 1. Reduces stress and anxiety. Deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system to help calm stress and lower cortisol levels. 2. Boosts focus and clarity. Oxygenating the brain through intentional breathing can help improve cognitive function and mental clarity. 3. Proper breathwork enhances energy levels. Breathwork increases oxygen flow and helps reduce fatigue. As crazy as it sounds, a few minutes of deep breathing can be more effective than an afternoon coffee. 4. Improves emotional regulation. Controlled breathing helps you respond to challenges calmly rather than reacting impulsively. 5. Supports physical health. Proper breathing improves posture and reduces tension in the neck and shoulders. 6. Enhances creativity and problem-solving (my personal favorite). Breathwork techniques, like box breathing or alternate nostril breathing, helps quiet that mental chatter and sparks creative thinking. It also encourages that flow state, where innovative ideas come more naturally.
 7. Promotes better sleep and recovery. Practicing breathwork before bed improves sleep quality, which is extremely beneficial to your long term health. A couple of ways to implement breathwork at home or work: Start meetings or calls with 2 minutes of deep breathing. One of my favorite techniques is Box (square) breathing and the 4-7-8 method. Try breathing methods before a meal. Using an app or alarm that will remind you to breathe mindfully is also extremely helpful. Or my personal favorite is doing mindful breathing before jumping on LinkedIn or any other social media platform.

Your nervous system can’t read your résumé. But it can read your breath. The 4-5-8 breath — inhale for 4, hold for 5, exhale for 8 — is one of the fastest ways to shift from stress to clarity. It’s a favorite among my clients before job interviews, hard conversations, or high-stakes presentations. This technique was popularized by Dr. Andrew Weil for its calming, regulating effects. One client told me: “It was the first time I felt present in an interview — not rehearsed, not rushed, just real.” Breathing isn’t just background. It’s a performance strategy.